Machine for operating upon bobbins



Nov. 6, 1956 R. P. DRAKE ET AL 2,769,598

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON BOBBINS Filed Sept. 11, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet lI jf k/ 7 2 I A 5 I "n /0 43 1 F T 75 w k LL min a 59 YINVENTOR.

Russell f. Dr'a/re, Robert fiBarc/mrdt and Char/ea B. Cranda BY Cou h,M445 ATTORN Y6 Nov. 6, 1956 R. P. DRAKE ET AL MACHINE FOR. OPERATINGUPON BOBBINS 4 Sheets-Sheet? Filed Sept. 11, 1952 0/ r/ im m 0 E MOd rN5/ K V E C T N e A i J ma r pm e Nov. 6, 1956 R. P. DRAKE ET AL2,769,598

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON BOBBINS 4- Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Fuss e//P Drake, Bake/z Z Bum/yard: I and Char/6.5 fl C'lafidafl y (Law, fl% m4,4 4/;4

A T TORNE Y6 Filed Sept. 11, 1952 Nov. 6, 1956 R. P. DRAKE ET AL2,769,598

MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON BOBBINS Filed Sept. 11; 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4INVENTOR. Russ e// P Bra/Ye, Woke/*1 f. flora/mm;

5 p WK BY ATTORN f) 6 Unite States Patent MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPONBOBBINS Russell P. Drake, Caledonia, Robert E. Borchardt, Rockford, andCharles B. Crandall, Loves Park, Ill., assignors to Barber-ColmanCompany, RocHord, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application September11, 1952, Serial No. 309,122 11 Claims. (Cl. 242-35.5)

The invention relates to a machine for operating upon bobbins, and moreparticularly, bobbins of the filling wind type. In Marcellus Patent No.2,409,639, dated October 22, 1946, is disclosed a machine for windingbobbins of this type and the present invention has for its general aimthe provision of a mechanism, preferably in the form of an attachment tosuch bobbin winding machines, whose function it is to remove from thebutt end of the bobbin any surplus yarn which may have been woundthereon in the operation of the winding machine.

Upon the completion of the operation of winding a bobbin in a machinesuch as that of the Marcellus patent, the bobbin is released or doffedfrom its normal winding position in which it is held between a chuckgripping the butt end and a centering slide supporting the tip end, andfollowing such doifing operation the supply thread is sheared from thewound bobbin and clamped in the chuck into which a new or empty bobbinhas been placed for the next winding cycle. It sometimes happens that atthe beginning of this winding operation a number of turns of yarn arewound upon the butt end of a bobbin in advance of the normal windingoperation. The presence of such surplus yarn on the wound bobbin isobjectionable because it tends to foul the yarn as it is being unwoundfrom the bobbin, resulting in breakage of the thread and in someinstances causing imperfections in the woven cloth as may occur if thesurplus end is broken off and not properly removed.

With the foregoing in view, the primary object of the present inventionis to provide for the removal in a practical way of any surplus yarnaccidentially or unintentionally wound upon the butt end of the bobbin.As disclosed in Peterson Patent 2,696,901, the bobbins produced in theoperation of the winding machine are deposited in pockets carried by anendless receiving conveyor and advanced to one end of the machine wherethey are delivered to a transport conveyor also containing pockets forthe reception of the bobbins.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism forremoving surplus yarn from the bobbins which mechanism is especiallydesigned to operate upon the bobbins at a point between the receivingconveyor of the bobbin winding machine and the transport conveyor.

Another and somewhat more specific object concerns a novel mechanism forunwrapping the surplus yarn from a bobbin, withdrawing it as it isunwrapped and finally severing it from the bobbin.

The objects of the invention thus generally stated, to-

gether with ancillary advantages, are attained by the con struction andarrangement set forth by way of illustration in the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the surplusmaterial removing mechanism interposed between the receiving conveyor ofthe bobbin winding machine andthe transport conveyor with a drivingconnection with the receiving conveyor. 1'

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view on a somewhat larger scale.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken approximatelyalong the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

vFig. 4 is a fagmentary perspective view of a wound bobbin with surplusyarn wound about the butt end of the bobbin and taking its usual form ofa number of turns.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken approximately inthe plane of line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view on a scalesubstantially larger than that of Fig. 3 and showing more particularlythe manner in which the wound bobbins are delivered successively to thesurplus yarn removing mechanism.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the aforesaid mechanismgenerally designated A is disposed at the delivery end of a bobbinwinding machine B and operative upon the removal of the surplus yarn totransfer the bobbins to a transport conveyor C. The discharge end of thereceiving conveyor of the winding machine is shown at the left in Figs.1 to 3. It comprises a pair of endless chains 10 having spaced pockets11 mounted thereon, the chains passing over sprockets 12.

The unit A comprises in general a hopper 13 (Figs. 3 and 5) openingtoward the discharge end of the bobbin winding machine for the receptionof wound bobbins from the receiving conveyor 10. In the bottom of thehopper is a discharge opening normally closed by a trap door 14 andbelow the opening is located a yarn severing means generally designated15 for removing from the bobbins b any surplus yarn which may be wrappedabout the butt end of the bobbin as shown at b (Fig. 4). A controllingcam mechanism 16 is operatively associated with the trap door 14 torelease bobbins periodically in timed relation to the operation of thesupply conveyor, and this cam mechanism additionally removes the bobbinsfrom the severing unit 15 after removal of the surplus yarn, to thetransport conveyor C.

The hopper 13 comprises in the form shown a pair of side walls 17suitably supported on front and rear frame plates 17a and 1712 (Fig. 5),an end wall 18 and a bottom wall 19 formed by a stationary plate 20, ayieldably supported drop plate 21 and by the trap door 14. The trap door14 is so disposed relative to the plates 20 and 21 as to form a troughshaped pocket at the extreme bot tom of the hopper in which pocket thebobbin comes to rest for delivery to the severing unit 15 when the trapdoor 14 is opened.

The side plates 17 respectively guide the butt and tip ends of thebobbin so that in the normal operation bobbins dropped onto the plate 21roll downwardly into the pocket with the axis of the bobbin extending ina front to rear direction. The plate 21 is yieldably held in closedposition by a spring 22 (Fig. 3), this plate being pivoted to swing on astationary shaft 23. The purpose of this yieldable mounting of the plate21 is to provide for the contingency that bobbins delivered to thehopper may accidentally become turned in such a Way as to clog thepassage to the hopper and thus fail to move properly into the pocket atthe bottom of the hopper. Should this occur, the accumulated weight of anumber of bobbins on the plate 21 will overcome the tension of plate 22and allow the bobbins to drop onto the floor or into a suitablecontainer.

The severing unit 15 comprises means for rotatably supporting thebobbins upon release from the hopper, including in the present instancea trough shaped block 24 for the tip end of the bobbin, and a pair ofrollers 25 (Fig. 5

mounted on spaced parallel axes immediately below the discharge openingnormally closed by the'trap door 14.

The rollers 25 are operatively connected with the receiv-:

' transportation conveyor C.

' shaft 31, and the other arm 7 and 31, which carry, the guide plates 28by the cam 43, the

V winder, filling-wound bobbins are the hopper 7 '3 ing conveyor 10 ofthe winding machine in a manner which will presently appear. As thebobbin is rotated,

' the loose or free end of the surplus thread is drawn downwardly bysuction means 25 and the withdrawn strand is'acted upon by a second pairof rollers 27 provided with relatively sharp interstrand to anunobjectionable length. T o'insure free pas: sage of air between thesevering rolls 27 the teeth at opposite sides of the rolls arepreferably milled off as shown Figs. and 6. V V 7 I Upon dischargefrorn' the hopper the bobbins pass downwardly between a pair of plates25 and 29 respectively mounted on shafts 30 and 31 (Fig. 3), the tipends of the bobbin being guided by'a stationary plate 32 (Fig. 5)carried by a bracket 32a and the butt ends by' a guide member 33, thesurfaces being appropriately'inclined so as to direct the bobbin intoposition with the butt ends resting upon the rollers 25 with the tipends supported in the trough shaped block 24 which are supported byinturned portions 35 of the plate 32. This construction providessupports for the tip and butt ends of the bobbins so as to support theyarn ma'sses clear of contact of any supporting surface. i

The cam means 16 has for its primary purpose the periodic operation ofthe trap door 14 and the actuation of the plates 28 and 29 followingtheremoval of the surplus'yarn' from the bobbins, to deliver the latterto the In the present instance the cam means 16 is driven from thewinding machine through a chain and sprocket connection with thereceiving conveyor 10. Thus, the shaft 37 of'the receiving conveyor hasfast/thereon a driving sprocket 38 (Fig. 2) fora chain 39 running oversprockets 40 and 41 (Figs. 3 and 5) Sprocket 40 is mounted on a subshaft 42 on frame plate 17b, carrying a cam 43.

Cam 43 is a two-lobed cam having a follower 44 (Figs.

'3 and 6) normally urged against the cam by-a spring 45;

Follower 44 is fast on a shaft carrying the trap door 14. A secondfollower 47 is urged cam. This follower is fast on a rock shaft 47ahaving rigid therewith a bell crank 49 (Fig. 6), which is connected by alink 5% and an arm 51 with the of which is connected by a link 52 withan arm 53 fast on the shaft 30. Shafts 30 and 29, are thus arranged foroperation in unison arrangement being such that the plates 28 and 29 arefirst operatedbythe cam, the formenengaging with the bobbin to shift itonto a downwardly inclined plate 54 for delivery to the transportconveyor, and then upon return of the plates to normal position by thespring 48 as permit-ted by the cam, the follower 44 is operated to openthe trapdoor and release the next bobbin to' the severing unit 15. As ishown, the transport conveyor Gcorhpriss a plurality of pockets 55 (Fig.3) into which the bobbins are successively delivered, it beingunderstood that this conveyor is advanced 'in proper timed rela-,

tion torthe main receiving conveyor; V

Chain 39 is also utilized to drive the bobbin supporting rollers 25fofthe severing unit, as shown in Fig. 5. Sprocket 4-l has a gearingconnection 57 witha pair of shafts SSreSpectiVely carryingrtherollers'ZS; The severing rollers 2 7 are preferably driven directly by aseparate 7 ,motor59 connected by a shaft 60 with one of the ,two jrollers 27.

By wayof summary, v

delivered one by one to 13, and. are successively'directed thereby to15; The earn actuatedtrap door, 14

the severing unit 'at' the botto rn' of the hopper constitutes in effectan escapeby a spring 48 against the:

one arm of V in th e operation of the. bobbin 7 ment mechanismcontrolled by the cam 43 so th at the bobbins are released to thesevering means in timed re- V meshing teeth which operate to break orchew off the lation to the operation of the winding machine and moreparticularly its receiving conveyor '10. delivered to the severing unitare supported for rotation in a direction to unwind from the butt endsofthe bobbins any surplus yarn which may have in the operation of thewinding machine. Coincidentally with such rotation of each bobbin, theunwrapped strand is withdrawn and presented to the severing means,namely, to the two rolls 27 with sharpened intermeshing teeth op-'erating to chew off the strand to an unobjectionable length. Upon thelapse of a predetermined time interval following the deposit of thebobbins onto the supporting V and rotating'means, theyare shiftedlaterally. by the op- I eration of the gm'de'plates 28, '29, again underthe control of the cam 43, the laterally shifted bobbins being deliveredto the pockets 55 of the transport conveyor C. We claim as ourinvention;

1. An apparatus for operating upon filling wound bobbins comprising, incombination, means for rotating a bobbin in a direction to unwrap astrand of yarn wound upon its butt end, a pair of rolls disposed belowsaid bobbin rotating means and ha ving intermeshing' teeth, andcontinuously operating means: to exert a force other than gravity on theunwrapping strand to draw the same away from the bobbin and present itto said rolls to cut 7 or break off the strand from the bobbin.

2. The combination of a bobbin winding machine hav-- ing a conveyor forreceiving filling wound bobbins, a

hopper for receivingthe bobbins ,as they are discharged by saidconveyor, bobbin supporting and rotating means,

means operative in timed relation to said conveyor for from said hopperto said the last mentioned means,

supporting and rotating means,

' being operative to revolve the bobbins in a direction to i .and meansfor presenting the unwrapping strand to said V rotating rollers unwrapstrands of yarn wrapped about the butt ends there-T of while leaving thefilling intact, strand severing means,

severing means. 7 V

3. An apparatus for operating'upon filling wound bobbins comprising ahopper, a conveyor for delivering bobbins one by one to said hopper,means for unwrapping from the bobbins strandsof eXcessyarn wound uponthe butt ends thereof while leaving the filling on thebobbins intact,and means operative in timed relation to said con-V veyor to deliverbobbins successively to said surplus strand removing means. 7 i V 4. Inanapparatus for operating combination of a hopper forreceiving fillingwound bobbins, said hopper having a' discharge opening and a 010removing excessyarn wound ends of the bobbins including a pair of suretherefor, means for upon the butt 7 disposed side by side forsupporting'and rotating the successive bobibns delivered on top of therollers, and cam means operative first to remove a bobbin from positionon said rollers and 'then to actuate said closure means to deliver asucceeding bobbin from the hopper onto the rollers.

5. Apparatus for operating upon filling wound bobbins, having, incombination, means for supporting and rotating a bobbin to unwrap astrand of yarn wound on; v e means defining a suction chambermaintainedunder a vacuum and disposed adjathe butt end, of the bobbin,

cent the rotating bobbin to draw the unwrapped end' away from thebobbin, and'a pair of rotatable rolls disposedbetween said bobbin andsaid inlet and having intermeshing teeth shaped to cut :or break oif theunwrapped strand frOmthbobbin. ,7 o

7 ,6, In'apparatus for removing'the surplus yarnwound "upon the butt endof'a filling wound bobbin, the combination of, ai pairofvrollers-rotatable about adjacent horizontal axes and adaptedtoreceive and-support the butt end of a bobbin, a second support axiallyspaced from V said rollers to engage'iand, support the tipof the bobblnBobbins thus j been wound thereon 7 upon bobbins, the

engaging said rollers, the filling of the bobbin being disposed betweenand out of contact with said rollers and support, means for deliveringbobbins one by one sidewise and downwardly onto said rollers andsupport, means for turning said rollers in a direction to unwrap theyarn from the butt end of the supported bobbin, a suction chambermaintained under vacuum and having an inlet spaced below the supportedbobbin to draw away the yarn unwrapped from said butt end, and meansbetween the bobbin and said inlet and engageable with the unwrapped yarnand operable to draw the yarn downwardly and break oi the same down tothe filling of the bobbin.

7. In apparatus for removing the surplus yarn Wound upon the butt end ofa filling wound bobbin, the combination of, means for supporting androtating the bobbin including a pair of rollers rotatable about adjacenthorizontal axes and adapted to receive and support the butt end of abobbin and a second support axially spaced from said rollers to engageand rotatably support the tip of the bobbin engaging said rollers, meansfor delivering bobbins one by one onto said rollers and means forturning said rollers in a direction to unwrap the yarn from the butt endof the supported bobbin, a suction chamber maintained under vacuum andhaving an inlet spaced below the supported bobbin, and rotary elementshaving intermeshing teeth and disposed between the bobbin and said inletto engage and break 01f said yarn after unwrapping thereof.

8. In apparatus for removing the surplus yarn wound upon the butt end ofa filling wound bobbin, the combination of, means for supporting androtating the bobbin including a pair of rollers rotatable about adjacenthorizontal axes and adapted to receive and support the butt end of abobbin, means for delivering bobbins one by one onto said rollers andmeans for turning said rollers in a direction to unwrap the yarn fromthe butt end of the supported bobbin, a suction chamber maintained undervacuum and having an inlet spaced below the supported bobbin, and rotarycutting elements having intermeshing teeth and disposed between thesupported bobbin and said inlet to engage and break ofi said yarn afterunwrapping thereof.

9. In apparatus for removing the surplus yarn wound upon the butt end ofa filling wound bobbin, the combination of, means for supporting androtating the bobbin including a pair of rollers rotatable about adjacenthorizontal axes and adapted to receive and support the butt end of abobbin, means for delivering bobbins one by one onto said rollers andmeans for turning said rollers in a direction to unwrap the yarn fromthe butt end of the supported bobbin, a suction chamber maintained undervacuum and having an inlet spaced below the supported bobbin, meansdisposed between the bobbin and said inlet and operable to engage andbreak off said yarn after unwrapping thereof, an ejector movablelaterally across and above said rollers to roll the bobbin sidewise andhorizontally 011? from the rollers, and means for operating said ejectorintermittently.

10. In apparatus for removing the surplus yarn wound upon the butt endof a filling wound bobbin, the combination of, two supports forreceiving and supporting the butt and tip ends of the bobbin beyond thefilling thereon, one of said supports including a pair of rollersrotatable in a direction to unwrap a strand of yarn from said butt end,means for delivering bobbins one by one onto said supports, a chambermaintained under vacuum and having an inlet spaced laterally from thesupported butt end of the bobbin, and means disposed between the bobbinand said inlet and operable to engage and break off said yarn afterunwrapping thereof.

11. In apparatus for removing the surplus yarn wound upon the butt endof a filling wound bobbin, the combination of, means for supporting androtating the bobbin in a direction to unwind said surplus yarn down tothe end of the filling on the bobbin, said means including a rotarydrive member engageable with an end of the supported bobbin at a pointoutwardly beyond said filling, a suction chamber maintained under vacuumand having an inlet spaced below the supported bobbin, rotary elementshaving intermeshing teeth and disposed between the bobbin and said inletto engage and break ofi" said yarn after unwrapping thereof, andmechanism including a rotary element engageable with the yarn as it isunwrapped from said butt end and operable to draw the yarn away from thebobbin and finally break off the yarn adjacent said filling.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,073,388 Belz Sept. 16, 1913 1,175,710 Colman Mar. 14, 1916 1,227,754Colman May 29, 1917 1,268,684 Colman June 4, 1918 2,070,193 AldermanFeb. 9, 1937 2,238,923 Abbott Apr. 22, 1941 2,443,002 Giffin et al. June8, 1948 2,458,326 Wilson Jan. 4, 1949 2,499,810 Alix et a1. Mar. 7, 19502,611,547 May Sept. 23, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 714,038 France Aug. 24,1931

